There are a variety of conventional tong- or clamp-like utensils for picking up an object. In the context of culinary utensils, for example a pair of culinary tongs, the tongs may be used for picking up food objects. Such utensils typically would have a pair of arms or extensions connected together at a pivot joint. A biasing means may be provided to bias the arms to a far apart configuration. In use, when a food object is to be picked up the arms are firstly allowed to be spread apart. The utensil is positioned such that the front ends of the arms sandwich the food object and then the arms are squeezed together so as to engage with the food object. In order to maintain the position of the food object between the arms, the arms have to be held firmly together by the fingers and the palm of a user. This can be difficult in particular if the means for biasing the arms apart are particularly strong because the fingers and the palm would have to act against the biasing force of the biasing means. The holding of the arms together would be particularly difficult if the food object being held is heavy or slippery or the food object is to be held for a prolonged period of time.
Another problem with conventional tong- or clamp-like utensils is that when they are not in use, the arms are biased to spread apart. As such, the utensils become larger and difficult to stow. One solution has been for example to provide a ring for holding the arms together. However, the ring can be difficult to maneuver and is generally not reliable and it is not aesthetically pleasant either.
It may be possible to introduce an actuation lock so that on pressing, sliding or pulling of a switch thereof the arms can be locked to stay close together. However, the working of such switch can be adversely interfered when the utensil is used to pick with food objects with grease or sauce. The grease or sauce can hinder working of moving parts or the switch. Further, maneuvering food with such utensil and controlling locking or unlocking of the arms simultaneously can be difficult.
The present invention seeks to address the above problems or at least to provide an alternative to the public.